VW's Blume fails to calm workforce as 100,000 jobs hang in balance

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume faced sharp criticism from works council chair Daniela Cavallo at employee assemblies on 25 August, after refusing to confirm plant closures or give concrete details on 100,000 roles at risk. A supervisory board meeting on 4 September will decide the next cost-cutting package.

26 August 2026

The supervisory board has greenlit the carve-out of the Transformation of Industry division, a €5.7bn revenue business with 17,000 employees, paving the way for a sale to private equity.

26 August 2026

Germany's second-largest bank lifted its 2026 pre-tax profit target to €3.5-4.0bn from around €3bn after R+V and Union Investment delivered 35% and 55% profit jumps respectively. The guidance implies a strong second half despite a weak domestic economy.

26 August 2026

Billionaire logistics magnate Klaus‑Michael Kuehne died on 24 August at 89. His charitable foundation now controls a portfolio spanning Germany's flag carrier, its largest container line, a Bundesliga club and a planned Elbe waterfront opera house.

25 August 2026

Lidl’s carbon‑fiber Padel rackets (€20‑€60) and Aldi’s Reformer‑Pilates board (~€200) are being sold at roughly 85‑95% below premium equivalents, a move aimed at the Gen Z market via TikTok and a newly created leisure‑and‑fitness aisle.

20 August 2026

The Siena-based bank has launched share-only bids for Banco BPM and Banca Generali worth €34bn combined. If fully taken up, the merged group would rank among Europe's ten largest banks and become Italy's second-biggest by loans and branches.

12 August 2026

The German health group sold 7.8 million shares of its dialysis subsidiary to institutional investors, using the proceeds to cut debt and fund its Kabi and Helios growth platforms.

7 August 2026

SoftBank Group has put $200 million into Gravis Robotics, a Munich-based AI-robotics startup, in one of the largest recent venture deals in the European sector.

1 August 2026

Data from Pitchbook, Dealroom and Start-up-Detector shows a widening funding gap as US venture capital returns to Europe with larger cheques but fewer deals.

25 July 2026

With UK input costs rising again in 2026, procurement teams need a disciplined way to challenge supplier price increases without damaging critical relationships.

9 July 2026